The present invention relates to sealed bearings in general, and more particularly to hermetically sealed knuckle or swivel joints of the ball and socket type.
Knuckle or swivel joints of the ball and socket type are of general use in motor vehicle steering tie rod assemblies, in drag links, torque rods, suspension stabilizers, shock absorbers and friction snubbers, for example. In heavy trucks, in military vehicles, in off-highway vehicles and in railroad vehicles, knuckle or swivel joints are required to accomplish their function under adverse ambient conditions with a long service life, with a minimum of maintenance or replacement, and they are often subjected to intense vibrations and excessive load forces in all directions.
The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,869 provides ball and socket joints in the form of integrally sealed units lubricated for life that are particularly well adapted to applications under demanding conditions, which are vibration and shock arsorbing or, in the alternative, which have solid non-resilient but non-rattling high load carrying capability and compensation for wear, are easy to manufacture and which accept wide manufacturing tolerances. However such joints are not easily dismantled for repacking with lubricant or for repair or replacement of damaged parts.